Let me first explain the premises of this competition. I'm looking for short stories only for this first (and hopefully not last, depending on how well it turns out) competition. Why? Well, partially because it's a good jumping-off point to later being able to judge more types of writing, such as poetry, and also because short stories are something we're all familiar with.
Now, why am I calling it Euro-Interregional? Good question! The contest will have two tracks: one group will be for Europeans and another for non-Europeans, or Interregionals. The panel of judges (comprised of myself, Novgorod-Pskov, and Dizgovzy) will judge each batch separately, choosing a winner and two runners-up from each group, and then we'll pit winner versus winner in a 2-day blinded poll, where native WA residents of Europe will decide which piece (the European or non-European) is better. Note - I know this isn't a perfect solution, especially since we'd love to have Interregional votes as well; however, this is one of the fairest methods that can be created on short notice. If you do have any better ideas on how to conduct the final poll, drop a TG in my inbox. If it's an effective and fast one, I might use it.
The theme of this contest is Pandemic. Yes, I know, covid-19 sucks and we all have enough of it. But I don't want covid-19 pieces. Be creative with it! For example, perhaps the pandemic is a virus that turns people's hair into cotton candy, and your piece is a briefing on how, despite the fact that you have cotton candy hair, you should refrain from eating it since it'll increase your risk of diabetes. Don't take that idea, of course, but make your own.
So I wrote my piece. Now what?
Send it to Imperium Anglorum with a disclaimer at the beginning that it's for this writing contest as well as whether you're a European or an Interregional submitter. Ideally, a Google Document would be best, but any way that can be easily copied and pasted into a mega-document for judging is okay.
Some basic rules:
- Stick to the theme. If your submission has nothing to do with the theme, it will be disqualified.
- Keep it PG-13 - remember, minors use this site too. If you wouldn't show your writing to your seven-year-old nephew, don't send it in here.
- No word limit. That being said, don't submit an entire book to the competition. Keep it reasonable.
- No plagiarism. Plagiarism results in automatic disqualification and possible bans from future competitions.
- One submission per person. As much as we'd love to read fifteen stories from you... well, we don't have the time. Pick your best idea and nurture it instead.
- Don't trash others. If you include other NationStates players in your story, make sure they consent to how they're portrayed.
- Don't spoil it! You'll be sending your submissions in a telegram to Imperium Anglorum, who will blind them before passing them on to the judges. We ask that you don't tell others which submission is yours until the results of the competition are released due to the voting phase at the end of the contest - if people know who penned the pieces, bias might color the vote.
How will this be scored?
The panel of judges (Novgorod-Pskov, Dizgovzy and myself) will each rate your entries on a 1-to-10 scale on five characteristics, which will be averaged out into one final score. If there is a tie, we'll vote on which piece we preferred.
The characteristics are:
- Creativity: 30% (Again, cotton candy hair pandemic. Even the way you write can be creative!)
- Engagement: 30% (Do I want to read THIS story to the end out of the pile I have, or will I pass? Are the characters interesting? Setting? Plot?)
- Realism: 20% (I don't mean how realistic the pandemic or anything else is - I mean how realistic the characters and writing are. If the characters seem fake or fabricated, lower points; if they act like real people would, higher points.)
- Succinctness: 10% (Make every word count! We're not here to read 15 pages of prose on ants if it's not useful. Chekhov's gun! Remember Hemingway's For sale: baby shoes, never worn.)
- Voice: 10% (Is this something any random person could write, or is this uniquely yours?)
If you:
- have a World Assembly nation in Europe
- or have been granted any of the Orders of Europe
- or have no World Assembly nation, but your main nation is located in Europe – or are a member of the Europe-Game forum
You are a European. If you do not fulfill any of these criteria, you are an Interregional, for purposes of submission. If you're confused about these rules, telegram me with your situation and I'll sort it out.
I have another question! Telegram me, Feria-Alkaline, with any and all queries.
I hope to see as many submissions as we can get! Be creative, be bold, and don't be afraid to write your heart out!
